Survivor: Fireball Island (A QCFP Story)
by DragonLord1975
Summary: Konata was surfing the Internet and found an interesting article about the Island of Vul-Kar and the legendary Firestone. So, she invites her friends across the Aniverse to explore the island in a no-holds-barred race to the Firestone, dodging the perils of the island as well as rival teams. The island has spoken! Get ready for a volcanic battle!
1. SURVIVOR: Fireball Island

LUCKY STAR © Kagami Yoshimizu/Kadokawa Shoten/Kyoto Animation/Lucky Paradise

FIREBALL ISLAND™ appears courtesy of Hasbro

ALL OTHER CHARACTERS ARE COPYRIGHT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

Konata was just done with a rousing battle of _Fortnite_ when she looked at her calendar. Summer was fast approaching.

"I remembered the great summers that I've had," Konata said. "It was a pain getting there, but that was the best week we've ever had."

Konata was remembering the time Miss Kuroi got lost while Konata's aunt Yui caused Kagami to flip out and Tsukasa to pass out.

"It would be great to have those summer times again," she thought. "Perhaps, maybe I might find something out of the ordinary."

Konata searched online and found something unusual in the Pacific Ocean. There was a volcanic tropical island with a giant mass of obsidian that resembles an idol. Beside that idol is a giant uncut ruby.

"WHOA! That's a big ruby!" Konata exclaimed. "Imagine all the manga, games and Blu-Rays I can buy with this baby!"

Then, Konata saw that the report was taken by Yuki Nagato.

"Nagamon? What's her connection?"

Konata, being loyal to the S.O.S. Brigade, decided to call in Haruhi Suzumiya over at North High in Nishinomiya.

"S.O.S. Brigade, solving the great mysteries of the world," said a despondent Kyon. "How can I be of service?"

"Hey, Kyon, it's Konata, Haruhi-sama's biggest fan!" Konata said to Kyon. "I want to know from Nagamon about this weird island I saw online."

"OK, whatever," Kyon sighed, and waved to Yuki Nagato in her book corner. "Hey, Nagato. Konata wants to talk to you."

Yuki walked towards Kyon with the same shy blank look on her face as Kyon handed the phone over to her.

"You have reached the S.O.S. Brigade, solving the great mysteries of the world," Yuki said quietly. "How can I be of service?"

"Nagamon, I need to know about this island," Konata said. "What is it? Where is it? And how do I get there?"

"I am afraid only Miss Haruhi would know the exact location," Yuki said to Konata. "However, I will give you the detail on my observation of the island."

Yuki told Konata about the mysterious island that seemed to have a mind of its own. It is called the Island of Vul-Kar, or as some natives call it "Fireball Island" due to the many fireballs launched from the volcanoes or from the idol of Vul-Kar itself. Embedded on the side of Vul-Kar is the Firestone, a large uncut ruby worth billions to the right owner.

"Wow! That sounds like an adventure!" Konata replied.

"Although the Island of Vul-Kar is uninhabited, it is still dangerous," Yuki warned Konata. "There are many perils known and unknown."

"Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Nagamon!" Konata said as she hung up on Yuki. Then, she began to use a spreadsheet and began to post it on her QCFP blog. The post reads:

* * *

**SURVIVOR: FIREBALL ISLAND**

Come for a tropical paradise, stay for a lifelong adventure!

Find the Firestone and win _billions_!

Apply within!

=ω=. Konata Izumi

* * *

Konata got hit back with only a fewer hits than usual. Surprisingly, Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki signed up. Other familiar faces Konata knew are Ayeka and Sasami Masaki, Ryoko and Washu Hakubi, Ako and Riko Suminoe and Miharu Mikuni.

"A lot of old familiar faces decided to rejoin us," Konata thought. "Well then, let's get DOWN-RIGHT-FIERCE!"

After a few calls, Konata and her friends flew to the exact coordinates of the Island of Vul-Kar. Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki had on their casual summer clothes along with other essentials for survival. The girls were heading for an area known as Dead Man's Plateau where a meeting will take place with all the other signees.

"This is the spot, huh?" Kagami observed. "The Island of Vul-Kar?"

"Yeah, Kagamin," Konata said. "This is where that big ruby is."

"This place is really scary, Sis!" Tsukasa cried. "I don't like it here…"

"Relax, Tsukasa," Kagami said to her. "You've got nothing to fear here."

Konata and the others managed to reach Dead Man's Plateau and saw Ako and Riko in their bikinis. Konata also saw Yuuzuki Kiryuu in her bikini and her little sister Mikazuki in her little swimsuit.

"Hey, Ako-nee and Riko-nee," Konata called out. "Where's Boobzilla?"

"Ever since she's dated Keita-sempai, they unfriended her," Mikazuki replied.

"That's fake news, you annoying little weasel!" Riko yelled, yanking Mikazuki's twintails hard, causing her to scream in pain.

"Miharu-chan told us that she's found friends for this excursion," Ako told Konata, "so she told Riko and I that she'll be OK."

Then, Konata headed to see Yuuzuki who was busy trying to get a WiFi signal.

"Hey, ma'am. How are ya?" Konata asked.

"Rotten," Yuuzuki sighed. "I can't seem to find a good signal. I have an upcoming event in _Fate/Grand Order_ with Nanakon and I can't find any networks anywhere!"

"I can't find anything on mine, either," Konata replied. "However, I'm sure we can finish this game in time."

Konata's group and the twins' group continued down Dead Man's Plateau and see Ayeka and Ryoko fighting again. Sasami and Washu just stood there silent. Ryo-Ohki was perched on Sasami's shoulder looking disappointed along with Sasami that Ryoko and Ayeka are STILL feuding.

"I see the Tenchi crew are still here," Konata pointed out, "and hopefully in one piece after this."

"Miss Konata!" Sasami waved cheerfully to Konata's group. Ryo-Ohki smiled and ran to her like a cat. "Glad to see you ever since the Hidden Temple."

"Yeah, it's been a while, Sasami," Konata said. "What's with Ayeka and Ryoko?"

"Same old, same old," Sasami sighed alongside Ryo-Ohki. "It never ends."

"The last time I checked your roster, we were supposed to have that glasses girl Miharu Mikuni here," Washu pointed out. "Where is she? Did she already get ahead of us?"

"Miharu's coming! She told us herself!" Riko told everyone. "She said she found friends and she's coming to the island."

"That must be Miharu right now," Ryoko said, looking up at the sky.

There was a helicopter landing on Dead Man's Plateau. The pilot opened the door and out stepped a schoolgirl with a white blouse and a turquoise skirt. Konata got excited when she saw this particular schoolgirl, especially with her brown hair and a yellow ribbon.

"HARUHI-SAMA! SHE'S HERE!" Konata yelled excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah, cool it down, will ya?!" Kagami grumbled.

Out stepped Haruhi Suzumiya with 16 bandanas. 4 of them are blue, 4 are red, 4 are yellow and 4 are purple. She looked around and saw only 12 people and 1 Ryo-Ohki. Then, Haruhi walked over to Konata.

"Nice to see you, Haruhi-sama!" Konata said ecstatically.

"I appreciate it, Konata," Haruhi replied, "but I want to know what you're doing on this island?"

"I thought of making it a Survivor-like game," Konata explained. "And I see you got the colors needed for our tribes."

"Well, yeah, you kinda told me to," Haruhi said. "Anyway, you told me there are 16 people joining your game and I see only a dozen."

"From what Ako and Riko told us," Kagami said to Haruhi, "Miharu Mikuni has some friends coming here to participate."

"Well, time is money," Haruhi growled. "Where is that Titan of Tits anyway?"

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Kagami mumbled silently.

Suddenly, the entire island begins to violently shake and fireballs began to burst everywhere. In the air, there is loud music blaring somewhere.

"EARTHQUAKE!" Tsukasa shrieked.

"Everyone, take cover!" Haruhi ordered. Ryo-Ohki ran to Sasami as everyone headed by the helicopter planning to wait out the disaster. Then, Konata and Yuuzuki look up in the sky and see a giant red spaceship with large long arms.

"Konata," Yuuzuki pointed out. "Is it me or is that the _Outlaw Star_?"

"Yes, but why is it here?!" Konata said loudly.

"TURN THAT DAMN THING DOWN!" Ako, Riko and Ayeka shouted, covering their ears.

To everyone's surprise, the Outlaw Star hovered over the plateau rolling out an inflatable slide. The audio components were playing "Problem" by Natalia Kills to full volume. Gene Starwind looked back to his special passengers.

"Fireball Island, next stop!" Gene said to his guests. "Good luck out there!"

"Thank you, Gene," said Melfina. She kissed him and then slid down the inflatable slide landing on the plateau.

Following Melfina is a schoolgirl with red hair and a real pistol. The schoolgirl has a blue bracelet on her right wrist. This same schoolgirl also has a crazy look on her face.

Following her down the slide is another schoolgirl wearing glasses and has a black bikini on. She's also carrying a cooler and a water rifle.

"Alright, girl! We made it!" the schoolgirl in glasses called out. "Let's jam!"

Stepping in view of the exit door with her back turned outside is a girl with shoulder-length petrol blue hair and a purple bikini that defined her hips and butt. In front of her are their essentials and she slid them down for the other girls to gather. When she turned around, she had glasses on and her breasts were massive.

"Miharu-chan?" Ako said, looking at her.

"MIKUNI! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Konata shouted.

Miharu slid down to the plateau and raised her arms in victory as the other two schoolgirls and Melfina hugged her. Then, the red-haired schoolgirl got a portable microphone and began to speak into it.

"Testing, 1-2-1-2, mic check, mic check!" she said loudly. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages! I, Akane Mishima, the Blue Gunner, proudly bring to you the greatest group of girls in the whole wide world: DAN-DE-RA-TION X!"

"Danderation X?" Kagami groaned. "I'm lost here…"

"Right alongside me," Akane continued, "the one and only Bullet of Bullets, Shino Asada!"

The glasses girl in the black bikini posed with her water rifle, revealing herself to be Shino Asada, also known as Sinon.

"The Maiden of the Galactic Leyline, Melfina!" Akane continued, as Melfina bowed to the stunned crowd.

"And introducing the founder of DX," Akane boasted, "the Dragon Empress herself, Miharu Mikuni!"

Akane gives a high five to Miharu handing her the microphone as she struts herself while the music was playing, posing in her bikini.

"And of course, if you're not down with that…" Miharu spoke. "…I GOT TWO WORDS FOR YA!"

"SUCK IT!"

"Miharu's been doing that since Chapter 124," Konata giggled silently.

"None of THAT please!" Akane said, firing rounds at Konata, scaring her.

"Good luck, Mel!" Jim Hawking said, waving to her. "Have fun with your friends!"

"Take care of yourself, Melfina," Gene said, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Thank you, everyone!" Melfina smiled, bowing to her shipmates and rejoined the party on the plateau when the Outlaw Star left.

After the Outlaw Star was gone, everyone emerged from the helicopter, leaving Haruhi holding the bandanas and everyone confused and angry at Miharu and her friends.

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY UNHINGED?!" Ayeka shouted at Miharu. "That crazy stunt almost destroyed this island…and US on it!"

"I had to make a grand entrance somehow," Miharu blushed and laughed. "Besides, it's fun! And I get to hang out with my besties!"

"Your besties?" Ako asked. "What about us?"

"Relax, Ako-sempai," Miharu said. "You, Riko-sempai, Mikazuki-chan and Kiryuu-sensei are still my friends, but these girls are like me, girls who I can relate to."

"That name _Danderation X_ that Mishima-san mentioned," Miyuki said to Miharu. "I take it there's some meaning to it?"

"Exactly, Takara-san," Miharu smiled. "Akane-chan, Mel-chan, Shino and I are mostly shy."

"So you took the _dandere_ archetype and wanted to make it more edgy," Yuuzuki interrupted.

"Ya got that right, cowgirl!" Akane said to Yuuzuki, causing the teacher to blush. "We wanted to be a Dandere Nation, a group of danderes where we're our OWN sempai!"

"Excuse me, people!" Haruhi said, in her most tsundere manner. "We got sorting out to do!"

All the girls giggled and stood in their groups on the plateau as Haruhi began to pass out the bandanas to each girl in each group.

"Konata, Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki," Haruhi said, passing out the blue bandanas. "Your tribe name is Fetu."

Next, Haruhi handed over red bandanas to Ako, Riko, Mikazuki and Yuuzuki. "You 4 will be known as Tuinanau," Haruhi said.

Haruhi then passed the yellow bandanas to Ayeka, Ryoko, Washu and Sasami. Sasami tore a piece of hers off to give to Ryo-Ohki. "You 4 will be known as Pelu," Haruhi said to the Tenchi girls.

"And you 4 nutjobs will be known as Matamuli," Haruhi snarled, giving Miharu the purple bandanas to pass out to Sinon, Akane and Melfina.

"Purple," Sinon said, placing it around her neck, posing afterwards. "It fits well."

"I know, right?" Miharu said, laughing alongside Sinon. Akane and Melfina laughed with them, huddled up together.

"LISTEN UP, MAGGOTS!" Haruhi boomed out. All the girls and Ryo-Ohki stood at attention.

"When Haruhi-sama goes tsundere," Konata quietly warned, "she can get downright fierce!"

"Now that I got your undivided attention, you got a commission!" Haruhi instructed. "It seems a wealthy tycoon wants to buy that Firestone ruby. Now, I've only explored this island a few times, so it's very tricky."

Haruhi hands Kagami, Yuuzuki, Washu and Miharu a copy of the map of the island. Haruhi also hands each of the 4 teams a special device that stores unique powers for use on the island.

"These are power meters," Haruhi explained. "Right now, the meters are set at 0. Once you pick up a power, you can use it. However, the meter can only hold 4 powers at a time. There is no limit on how you use your power. Use them wisely."

Haruhi then explained to the teams about how to grab the Firestone while avoiding the traps and dangers.

"Whoever has the Firestone must make it to the docks," Haruhi pointed out on the map. "My client and I will be waiting by boat. First group on this boat with the Firestone wins."

"So what are we waitin' for?" Konata shouted. "Let's hit the road!"

"Hold on there, you scatterbrained otaku!" Ayeka told Konata. "Who said YOU can lead this party? I'm a Crown Princess and I'll lead this party!"

"What you are is a royal bitch!" Riko replied to Ayeka.

"You're even worse than that hooligan Ryoko!" Ayeka shouted back.

"You got something to say to Riko, you spoiled brat? You say it to me, too!" Ako yelled at Ayeka.

"Only I can give Ayeka a royal pain," Ryoko added, "not some twins with the hots for their little brother!"

Soon, Ako and Riko began fighting with Ayeka and Ryoko as the rest of the party watched in disbelief as if they expected it to happen.

"You know, if you think about it," Yuuzuki whispered to Konata, "Ako-san and Riko-san have some similarities to Ayeka and Ryoko."

"You have a point, ma'am," Konata noted.

While the fight continued on Dead Man's Plateau, Haruhi managed to bring a device out from the helicopter. The device looked like a weird genie bottle with both ends resembling a weird hourglass. The top end and long tubes were clear while the bottom was black. Haruhi wanted to tell them about the device, but Ayeka and Ryoko were still occupied fighting with the twins. Then, Haruhi gave the signal.

Bullets began to fly past those involved in the fight, spooking them in the process. Ryoko, Ayeka and the Suminoe Sisters all look angrily at Akane flashing a disturbing grin, holding her pistol like a cowboy.

"This isn't Bullet Club vs. JSA 2, girls!" Akane demanded. "Haruhi's got somethin' to show ya!"

Ryoko hovered over to Akane and leered at her. "When this is over, Mishima," Ryoko snarled, "I'm gonna stick that gun right up your rounded dandere ass!"

The party walked up to Haruhi's strange device as she displayed it for everyone.

"This device will show you the order to go," Haruhi explained. "There are 4 small balls at the bottom on this custom hourglass: one for each tribe. When I tip this over, the balls will fall down through this tube to the bottom. The first ball reaching the bottom goes first, and so on afterward."

Haruhi turned her hourglass upside-down as the balls began to chase downward towards the bottom. After 10 seconds, the red ball came down to the bottom first, followed by the blue ball, then the yellow ball and finally the purple ball on top.

"Tuinanau will go first," Haruhi ordered, "Fetu goes second, Pelu goes third and Matamuli will go last!"

"Much to be expected for us danderes," Miharu sighed.

"We got this, girl," Sinon said, patting Miharu's shoulder. Miharu blushed and held Sinon's hand, nodding with her.

Ako, Riko, Mikazuki and Yuuzuki looked down from Dead Man's Plateau as Haruhi took off in her helicopter heading toward the docks.

"Good luck, bozos!" Haruhi called out. "You'll need it!"

"What does Haruhi know anyway?" Yuuzuki boasted. "We'll do fine. Now let's go! Onto the Witchlord Trail!"

* * *

**QCFP XTRA**

**EXPLANATION OF THE TRIBE NAMES**

**FETU**: Samoan for "star", after the series "Lucky Star"

**PELU**: Samoan for "sword", after the Holy Sword Tenchi from "Tenchi Muyo!"

**TUINANAU**: Samoan for "love" and for "lust", after the love the girls of "Kiss X Sis" have for Keita

**MATAMULI**: Samoan for "shy/shyness", depicting the dandere or "shy girl" archetype


	2. DAY 1: Morning

Yuuzuki and her team climbed down Dead Man's Plateau and walked along the Witchlord Trail. Their red Power Meter also has a random number generator, and the number indicated, in Yuuzuki's case a 5, are the number of spaces they can move forward. Ako was reading the meter and it turned on automatically showing "-1" and "CANC" on screen.

"What are these?" Ako asked. "Does anybody know? How can we use these powers if we don't know what they do?"

"I think along with a map, Haruhi gave us a list of powers," Yuuzuki replied. "Each readout is a hint as what powers are used while we're on Fireball Island." Yuuzuki shown Ako, Riko and Mikazuki what the list was:

* * *

(FIRE!) One of the many fireballs are activated

(MGC) A Magic Talisman protects the user from fire

(+4, +5, +6) Move forward X spaces

(-1, -2, -3) Move any opponent X spaces backward

(FREE) Take a free turn

(x2) Double the number

(d6) When played before, the first number rolled won't count, but the second roll will

(CANC) Cancels any power except (FIRE!), including other (CANC) powers

(TAKE) Allows you to hack a rival's Power Meter and steal their power

(FAKE) If you have the Firestone, and a rival passes you, this generates an imitation for them to keep while you keep the real Firestone

* * *

"No doubt, the others have those same lists," Riko said nervously. "We'd better be on our toes to survive!"

"OK, girls!" Konata chimed to her fellow classmates/teammates. "Let's hit the road!"

Konata's blue Power Meter shown a 3 as she jumped down from Dead Man's Plateau like she were a Power Ranger. Kagami was helping Tsukasa down as Miyuki was trying to balance herself.

"Slow down, Kona-chan!" Kagami shouted. "Some of us aren't that fit, ya know!"

"I'm exhausted!" Tsukasa whined as she finally got down from the plateau.

"Relax, there's still more island to explore," Konata said, smiling. "Best part is we got the advantage."

Konata shows her teammates the readouts "FREE" and "TAKE" on her meter.

"Impressive indeed!" Miyuki smiled. "This will benefit our excursion in the long run."

"I know," laughed Konata, "and I'm gonna use it now!"

Konata activates her "FREE" power hoping to continue down the Witchlord Trail. However, what Haruhi didn't tell all the players is once a power is used on the meter, everyone's meters will know what you played.

"I don't think so, Konata Izumi!" Ako shouted and activated "CANC" to short out Konata's meter temporarily.

"That's dirty pool, Ako-nee!" Konata pouted.

Washu held up her yellow Power Meter as it displayed a 2. Ayeka looked down below where Konata's team and Yuuzuki's team were.

"How do you propose we get down there?" Ayeka asked.

"Like this!" Ryoko laughed and shot a burst of energy behind Ayeka as she sailed down the plateau. Ryoko carried Washu, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki and flew down to their destination and caught Ayeka before she landed hard on the Witchlord Trail.

"How was I gonna know she was gonna do that?" Sasami sighed along with Ryo-Ohki.

"Once this quest is over, you horrid outlaw," Ayeka shouted at Ryoko, "I'll have the Jurai Special Forces hunt you and your crazy gang down!"

"Cheer up, Princess JSA," Ryoko smiled. "At least we got something for our troubles. Hell, it's even up your alley."

Ryoko shows Ayeka the "MGC" readout on Washu's meter. Ayeka's still mad at Ryoko for her madness, but has forgiven her this time.

Miharu looked down Dead Man's Plateau seeing the Tenchi girls make it as she's holding her purple Power Meter. As she is bending down, she can hear giggling and snickering from her fellow girls of Danderation X.

"What's so funny, girls?" Miharu leered. "We got a mission to complete!"

"Relax, girl!" Sinon smiled. "We're right _behind_ ya! Let's see where we'll _end_ up!"

As Miharu checked her readout, Sinon just shown Akane and Melfina the snapshot she took of Miharu in her bikini looking down the plateau.

"This is so going on my Instagram," Sinon laughed.

Miharu's meter shown a 2, which puts them beside Ayeka and Ryoko. However, Miharu stumbled down the plateau and fell face-first. Sinon, Akane and Melfina rushed to help their leader out as Sasami and Ryo-Ohki checked out the commotion.

"Miss Mikuni, are you alright?" Sasami asked.

"Ow…ow…ow…" groaned Miharu, covering her neck and head. "I can't believe it. I scorpioned again…"

"Scorpioned?" Sasami said fearfully.

"Relax, Mini-Miku Hatsune," Akane said. "Getting scorpioned means you fall flat on your face and your legs kick the back of your head, and you end up looking like a scorpion and its stinger."

"And our leader's legs are **EXTRA THICC!**" Sinon giggled.

"Yuck it up, Shino," Miharu grumbled as Melfina and Sasami helped heal her injuries. "Don't forget we got a lot of this crazy island to explore!"

As Miharu was chatting with the rest of her fellow DX members, her meter's readout had "CANC" like Ako and Riko's meter was.

Yuuzuki holds up her meter and displays a 3. Mikazuki looks back as Yuuzuki and the twins march forward.

"I hope Konata and the others aren't too upset," Mikazuki said, "after we jammed their meter."

"That shrimp needed to be taught respect!" Riko stated. "Here, we'll TEACH her respect!"

"Well, _I'm_ the teacher, remember?" Yuuzuki said to Riko. "Right now, we need to learn our way around this crazy island."

Konata lifts up her power meter and it shows a 6. Excited, she barrels through Yuuzuki's team as they headed toward their destination. Just as Konata's meter readout was a "d6", Ako activated the last power on her meter and a force of gravity pulled the Lucky Star girls backward to where Ako and Riko are.

"Are you trying to pick a fight or something?!" Konata snarled at the twins.

"You need to know your place, Konata!" Ako replied angrily.

"And they say _I'm_ the angry one," Kagami sighed.

Ayeka decided to look at the meter as it read a 2.

"I believe this meter is broken," Ayeka complained.

"The meter's fine, Ayeka," Washu replied. "Trust me."

When the Tenchi girls reached their destination, the meter went crazy as the readout said "FIRE!", scaring Ayeka.

"What is this, Washu?!" Ayeka demanded. "This meter's out of control!"

"I know what it means, Princess!" Ryoko smiled evilly, grabbing the meter. "It means DUCK AND COVER!"

Ryoko fires a laser beam from her hand, igniting a nearby volcano. While Konata's team and the twins' team were arguing, both teams saw a large fireball rolling down the Witchlord Trail at full speed.

"GANGWAY!" all of them shouted.

The fireball's motion was like a comet as it slammed at the end of the Witchlord Trail, running over Konata, Kagami, Tsukasa, Miyuki, Yuuzuki, Mikazuki and the twins. Those affected by the fireballs are sent to a mud pit on a corresponding area to recover from burn damage.

"YOWCH!" Konata screamed as she is slowly recovering. "I felt like I got attacked by Charizard's Fire Blast and lost!"

"Bring up any more Pokémon references and I'll kill you…" Kagami mumbled silently as she is neck-deep in the mud, relaxing.

"Damn," Sinon said, looking at the fireball damage on the Witchlord Trail. "I hope your buddies are OK, Miharu."

"I hope so, too, Shino," Miharu nodded. "Let's be careful. Anything can happen next."

Melfina held up the meter as it shows a 4. The DX Army slowly crawled commando-style making sure to avoid any unseen traps and to avoid getting steamrolled by fireballs. As they reach their destination, Melfina sees the "x2" readout.

"Looks like we can use this doubler to improve our chances," she smiled. "I feel really good about this."

Meanwhile in the mud pits, Ako, Riko and Konata all stare silently as the others relax.

"We can still go round and round," Riko said to Konata, "but how about we teach the Tenchi crew a lesson in pain?"

"I'm game," Konata mumbled in anger. "Time to unleash Hell."

Back on the Witchlord Trail, Sasami has control of the meter, looking back at the damage done by the fireball. Ryo-Ohki meows curiously.

"This is some strange place, Ryo-Ohki," Sasami said as she held the meter high. "Stay close to me so that you don't get hurt."

Sasami's meter readout shown a 1, and when it did, it began to hum loudly and grow hot to the touch.

"IT'S HOT!" Sasami shouted. Ayeka and Ryoko looked at the meter as it read 1.

"Uh-oh! This…is bad…" they whispered.

The same volcano that Ryoko fired upon earlier began to erupt another fireball. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki ducked their heads as the fireball sailed over them, leaving them unharmed. Akane looked back and saw the fireball that sailed over Sasami come right at her and the rest of Danderation X.

"Got any Bactine in that cooler?" Akane asked sarcastically.

"Unbelievable!" Sinon cried. "We're gonna be flame-broiled!"

"16 years old and I'm about to experience hot flashes," Miharu grumbled. "Perfect…"

The fireball smashed the end of the Witchlord Trail like before steamrolling Miharu, Sinon, Akane and Melfina. The DX Army were taken to the mud pits where Ako, Riko, Konata and their fellow teams were just heading out.

"Miharu-chan!" Ako shouted in fear. "What happened?!"

"Accidental fireball," Miharu said, trying to hold back the pain. "Now, I gotta bathe in this mud to cool off!"

"Well, think of this as a spa day, Miss Miharu," Melfina chimed.

"Perhaps you're right, Mel-chan," Miharu sighed.


	3. DAY 1: Afternoon

Climbing out of the mud pits, Yuuzuki holds up her power meter while Ako and Riko help Mikazuki out. Konata and Kagami climbed out and helped Tsukasa and Miyuki out of the pits after the twins' team.

"Well, now, time to get this ball rolling!" Yuuzuki said. Her power meter reads 3. After drying off, Ako and Riko followed Yuuzuki and Mikazuki. Yuuzuki's readout then displayed "-3".

Konata takes out her power meter and looks around the island. "This game is getting serious," she said. "Be careful."

"You be careful, too, Kona-chan," Kagami replied. "There's no Konami Code here."

Konata's meter displayed a 6 as the Lucky Stars walked right past the twins. As Konata's readout displayed "MGC" and "-2", Ako points her meter at Konata and zips the girls back to where Yuuzuki was.

"So much for the truce," Kagami mumbled.

Washu holds her power meter high as she looks around the island.

"Everything looks calm now," Washu said, as her meter reads 2.

"I hope Miss Kiryuu and Miss Konata are doing OK," Sasami said. "That was too scary."

Sinon climbed out of the mud pits first and grabs her water rifle, pumping it up. Miharu, Akane and Melfina climb out in front of Sinon wondering what's up with her. Suddenly, Sinon sprays out a full blast of water at her comrades in DX. Most of the soaking was towards Miharu.

"Now that's a money shot!" Sinon giggled.

"You REALLY love doing this, don't you, Shino?" Miharu said with an annoyed tone.

"Well, what matters is we're safe and we're clean," Melfina pointed out, "so let's continue exploring."

Sinon held her power meter up high and the number shows 2, which puts DX right beside the Tenchi crew. Ayeka looked behind only to see Akane staring a hole into her.

"What happened was an accident, Akane," Ayeka nervously said.

"The JSA was an accident that became a cancer," Akane growled. "Any more accidents from you and there'll be one less Princess of Jurai!"

Ako takes hold of the meter as the number shows a 3. As Ako, Riko, Mikazuki and Yuuzuki walk by, they can see the end of the Witchlord Trail by a few meters. The readout displayed "-2" as they stopped.

"We're almost at the end of the Witchlord Trail," Yuuzuki said, looking at the map. "We'll be at the Ruins closely!"

"Finally, we can relax!" Riko sighed as she felt like collapsing. "We've been walking forever!"

Miyuki takes hold of the meter as she looks ahead.

"Beyond this trail are the Ruins," Miyuki said. "Once we arrive, we must cross over the Witchlord Step at the Ruins to obtain a special Token."

Miyuki's meter reads 3. The Lucky Star girls stood alongside Ako and her friends.

"I don't think so, girls!" Riko snarled, as she pointed her meter at Miyuki and sent Konata and her classmates backwards.

"That was a devious underhanded tactic," Miyuki mumbled. "Such unforseen incidents will be avenged eventually."

Ryoko grabs the meter as Ayeka, Sasami and Washu continue down the trail. The meter shows a 4 as they join right beside Ako and Riko. Ryoko's readout displayed "+4" and "+5" as Ako looks at Ayeka eye to eye.

"Don't think you've gotten rid of us THAT easily, Ako!" Ayeka boasts.

"Why me?!" Ako cries.

Akane looks around the Witchlord Trail and noticed a nearby cave.

"We're so far behind!" Akane called out. "Let's see if we can take a shortcut!"

"This could be a trap, so get ready," Miharu said. As the DX girls enter the cave, they immediately get sucked in.

"I SHOULD'VE STAYED IN BED!" Miharu cried out as the girls are swept away by the magical forces inside the cave. After floating around, they get launched out from another cave. When Akane stepped out, her power meter number shown 2. As she looked around, she saw the Ruins in the distance.

"We're ahead!" Akane shouted. "We're in first place!"

"Yes," Melfina added, "but we have to backtrack towards the Ruins to obtain that special Token. Any advantage is necessary in competition."

"Yeah, I guess," Akane sighed as her hair transformed from red back to brown and her eyes from red to green.

Mikazuki looks around holding the meter as Ako and Riko, Konata, Ayeka and Ryoko look at each other dead center like they're ready to fight. Mikazuki felt nervous and got so worried up, she didn't feel Sasami patting her on the shoulder, which prompted her to scream. Everyone stopped and looked back at Sasami and Mikazuki.

"We'll all competitive, Mikazuki," Sasami said, rubbing her shoulder. "But you should relax. Have fun. This IS a game, remember?"

"Yeah…I'll try…" Mikazuki said, still shaking. She holds up the meter and the number shows a 3. Mikazuki runs quickly past everyone including Ako and Riko. As she is catching her breath, her readout shows "+5".

"Sasami-chan's right, Mikazuki," Ako said. "Don't get nervous when we're engaging someone. Just relax."

"OK," Mikazuki cried nervously. "Thanks, Ako-sempai."

Konata picks up her meter and the number shows a 2, bringing her to where Ako and Riko were before they got zipped back.

"Man, Mikazuki was such a nervous wreck," Konata said obliviously.

"Can you blame her?" Kagami added. "You, Ayeka, Ryoko and the twins were about ready to rumble! Tsukasa's just as nervous in those situations, too."

"That was so scary!" Tsukasa said. "I hope Mikazuki-chan's OK."

Ayeka got hold of her meter and shows a 3, as she marches directly toward Ako as Riko stood in front of Ako to confront Ayeka.

"Back off, bitch," Riko warned, "unless you want a total beatdown!"

Ryoko pulled the back of Riko's ponytail and says, "I don't care about Miss Prissy Pants over there, but YOU TWO need to be taught respect!"

As Ako, Riko, Ayeka and Ryoko continue their shouting match, Ayeka's readout reads "FREE". Sasami and Mikazuki sighed as they watched the fireworks unfold.

"It was inevitable," Sasami said.

"Can't be helped," Mikazuki added.

Miharu grabbed her meter and looked back towards the Ruins.

"From what this map said," Sinon told Miharu, "we're in Thunder Alley. The Ruins and Witchlord Step are back where everyone else is now."

"That's obvious," Miharu said, as the number shown 2. The DX Army marched toward the beginning of Thunder Alley to grab a Token from the Ruins. Miharu's readout shown "+4" and puts her meter away, then she turns to Sinon.

"Did you by any chance record that Super Soaker fiasco back on the Witchlord Trail?" Miharu asked.

Sinon blushed and looked flustered, trying not to arouse suspicion. Miharu then had Sinon in a front facelock as Akane and Melfina looked on.

"When this is over," Miharu whispered, "send me a copy of that to me. I want to show Keita-kun."

As Miharu patted Sinon on the back, she let go as she looked towards the Ruins. Sinon meanwhile dropped to her knees, reeling from Miharu's statement.

"Man! That girl's hardcore like Big Z," Sinon thought. "I'd better be careful myself."


	4. DAY 1: Evening

Yuuzuki, Mikazuki and the twins reached the Ruins. There, Ako takes the opportunity to photograph the Ruins on her smartphone.

"This is fascinating!" Ako smiled. "Maybe when this game is over, I can study this island to discover its true past."

"Yeah, yeah," Riko grumbled. "Less talk and more action! I'm not losing to Konata again!"

Saying that, Riko takes the power meter and activates "+5". The meter didn't show a number because Riko played a movement code. As the twins moved over the Witchlord Step, they had to pickup a Token.

"HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!" Riko shouted. "It's as big as Keita's thing!"

The Tokens are black and hexagonal with a hole in the middle. While on the Witchlord Step, the Tokens are approximately 2 1/2 meters tall. When the twins picked up the Token, it was surprisingly light as a feather. Then, a mysterious red light began to shine on it.

"Careful, girls!" Yuuzuki warned. "This could be a trap!"

After the light faded, the Token shrunk down to the size of a ring. Ako and Riko looked it over for a few minutes before Mikazuki put it on her finger like an engagement ring.

"This'll be something to wow Keita-sempai once we get back home," Mikazuki blushed.

"Give that back, you thieving little pack rat!" Riko growled, as she and Ako went after Mikazuki.

Yuuzuki had to seperate the girls after they arrived at their location within Thunder Alley, a few lengths behind Miharu and DX.

"Hey, Kiryuu-sensei!" Miharu smiled, waving to Yuuzuki and the twins.

"Mikuni-san?" Yuuzuki wondered. "How'd you get so far ahead?"

"We took a cave on the Witchlord Trail and wound up here," Miharu explained. "We're climbing back up Thunder Alley towards the Ruins to get the Token needed."

"You mean this Token, Mikuni-sempai?" Mikazuki said, showing the Token on her finger.

"They're that small?" Sinon asked. "This oughta be easy."

"I wouldn't count on it, Sinon-chan," Ako added. "Those Tokens are huge! But once you step on that Witchlord Step, it makes itself easier to carry."

"Sounds good to me," Sinon blushes. "Come on, girls! Let's belt one out like Big Papi!"

During the conversation with Miharu, Riko's power meter readout displayed "TAKE" as she and Ako were trying to get that Token off Mikazuki's finger.

Tsukasa felt nervous holding the power meter as she might get a bad roll. Kagami took the meter for a moment and activated "d6".

"Here you go, Tsukasa," Kagami said, handing the meter back to her. "Try it now."

"OK, sis," Tsukasa said nervously. The meter shown a 1, which had Tsukasa about to cry, because it would cause a fireball to mow them down. Then the meter turned blank.

"What happened?" Tsukasa asked.

"Kagamin activated 'd6', Tsukasa, so we're safe," Konata replied. "Try your meter again. This time, the number shown will count."

Tsukasa held up the power meter and this time the number shown was 5. Konata and the others head into the Ruins and past Witchlord Step. She tried to lift one of the 3 remaining Tokens when a blue light flashed in front of them. Like Ako and Riko's Token, Konata's Token was shrunk to the size of a ring.

"Wow! Just like the Blue Ring from The Legend of Zelda!" Konata said as she posed like Link with the Token in hand.

"Yeah, yeah," Kagami said, trying to drown out Konata's otaku rambling. "These Ruins look amazing, but be extra cautious. You never know WHAT might come out of them."

Konata checks her power meter and a "d6" was shown on the readout.

"We lose a 'd6', we get a 'd6' back. Equivalent exchange," Konata giggled.

"OK, Best in the World," Kagami growled. "Now, let's get going! The Suminoe Sisters are miles ahead by now!"

Washu held up the meter as it shown a 2. Ryoko landed on Witchlord Step and picked up a Token.

"Despite them being big, they're very light," Ryoko thought. "Almost reminds me of you, Princess: Looking so big, but light in the head."

"You just wait until this excursion is over, you filthy wretch!" Ayeka shouted.

Then, a yellow light flashed over Ryoko and filled the Ruins. Ryo-Ohki climbed onto Sasami as the light began to shine.

Miharu looked at the Ruins from Thunder Alley along with Yuuzuki's team and Konata's team.

"Looks like Pelu Tribe got their Token as well," Miharu stated. "It'll be our turn soon."

"Well, fun is fun, but we got a game to win," Ryoko said, taking the meter from Washu. "It's time to move it move it!"

Ryoko activated "FREE" and the meter shown a 3. Ryoko flies to where Ako and Riko are while Ayeka, Sasami and Washu followed Ryoko.

"That wasn't fair, Ryoko!" Ako shouted.

"All's fair in love and gaming, you Ayeka wannabe," Ryoko laughed.

"Consider that Karma for stopping my free turn as well, Ako-nee!" Konata added.

While the Pelu, Fetu and Tuinanau Tribes were arguing amonst themselves, Matamuli decided to go ahead. Akane had the meter and decided to activate "+4", leaving the meter blank.

"Let's go before anything else happens," Akane said, hurrying along her fellow members of DX.

Passing by the ramble from all the other girls, Akane reaches the Ruins as the meter shows a "d6". Miharu, Sinon and Melfina arrive at the Ruins and caught up to Akane.

"Once we get that Token," Miharu noted, "we're officially in business."

Ako holds up the meter to read a 4. As they walked down Thunder Alley, Riko wondered about how Miharu got ahead.

"Miharu said she used a cave around here," she said. "If we can find this shortcut, we'll beat everyone to the Firestone."

After Riko's speech, Mikazuki finds a cave, the very same cave Miharu and DX came out of.

"This must be the cave here," Mikazuki called out. "Let's see if we can use it to get ahead."

Just like before, a strange force pulls Mikazuki in. Ako, Riko and Yuuzuki went in after her and all of them get whipped around. After getting caught in the draft, the Suminoe and Kiryuu sisters wind up outside of another cave. When Yuuzuki looked outside, she saw a stretch of beach spanning for miles.

"This must be Skeleton Head Beach," Yuuzuki exclaimed. "That means we're very close to the Firestone!"

"And finally near a beach!" Riko sighed with delight. Ako sighed with her.

"We'll get to relaxing soon, but first…" Ako chimed, taking her power meter out. Her readout shown "+4" and activated "TAKE" hacking into Konata's meter. Her result profited one of Konata's Talismans.

"If worse comes to worse," Ako shown the girls, "we got this to protect us."

"Awesome plan, Ako!" Riko chuckled. "We're really rollin' now!"

Konata looked at her power meter and figured out that one of her Talismans were missing.

"The Tomax and Xamot of anime strike again," she mumbled.

Konata's meter reads a 5 as they walk down Thunder Alley. After they stopped, Konata's readout glowed bright red with "FIRE!".

"We'll fight fire WITH fire," she laughs. "I'll bring the heat like Ryu does!"

"We gotta catch the Tuinanau first, Kona-chan," Kagami pointed out.

Washu walks down Thunder Alley past Konata's group as her power meter read 4. Ayeka and Ryoko still look at Konata with discontent as Sasami and Ryo-Ohki strut on by as normally. Washu's readout shows "TAKE".

"I can't wait to hack into another power meter!" Washu said excitedly. "Trouble is finding my first victims!"

"That's scary," Ayeka, Ryoko and Sasami said apathetically, knowing too well how Washu operates.

Melfina holds her meter high and the result is 4. Once Miharu and her team reached Witchlord Step, they were shocked to see the last remaining Token lying in wait.

"Wow! Ako was right!" Sinon said with disbelief. "They're as big as Big Papi!"

"How did all of them get those Tokens to shrink?" Miharu thought. "There must be a spell that does that."

Melfina placed her hand on the Token as if she was entranced. Suddenly, a purple light began to flash. Once the lights vanished, Melfina held the last remaining Token in the Ruins.

"It seems contact with the Tokens within the Ruins causes them to shrink," Melfina said.

"It does resemble a ring!" Akane chimed. "Oh, if I had something like that for Senou-kun!"

"Well, this is still 1st and 10 in the First Quarter, girls," Sinon pointed out. "We still got 80 yards to go, so let's move!"

Miharu and the others finish outside the Ruins heading back on the Witchlord Trail. Her readout shows "MCG", which Miharu blushed and giggled.

"The next time there's a fireball coming at us," she smiled, "we'll be so ready!"

Mikazuki grabs the meter and looks outside the cave overlooking Skeleton Head Beach.

"I'd really love to go to the beach with Keita-sempai one day," she chimed.

"Once we're out of this cave," Yuuzuki said, studying the map, "we'll be at Fireflash Chute. Then, it's onto the Firestone!"

Mikazuki held up her meter, but then the meter went out of control after showing a 1.

"I don't like this…" Mikazuki cried. Once again, the strange forces swept up Mikazuki and her team. While Tuinanau were trapped in the crossroads of the caves, a volcano began to erupt near the Ruins. Matamuli were a few feet away from said volcano as it erupted.

"Heads up, girls!" Sinon called out. "Miami Heat comin' at us!"

"We're ready this time!" Miharu said, readying herself with a Talisman.

However, the fireball wasn't aimed at Matamuli, leaving them a little embarrassed.

"This isn't the first time I felt inadequate," Miharu blushed.

"I heard that," Sinon nodded.

Tsukasa looked back and screamed in panic as a fireball was coming down Thunder Alley. The Fetu and Pelu were the only ones there.

"Here comes trouble again!" Kagami shouted. "Look out, everyone!"

"I got this, Kagamin!" Konata said confidently, using her meter to activate her Talisman. Konata waved the meter like a wand. "I just recently picked this up."

As the fireball closes in, Konata points her meter out and shouted "Water Magic - Sea Dragon's Lair!"

Strangely enough, a force field of water protected Konata, Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki as the fireball bounced off the barrier.

"I gotta remember to thank Noelle Silva for that spell!" Konata chimed.

The fireball continued down towards Ayeka, Ryoko, Sasami and Washu.

"My research is about to be burned down!" Washu said in shock.

"Not on my watch!" Ayeka said, activating the meter. "Azaka! Kamidake! Come to our aid!"

As the fireball barreled down, two giant logs floated and blocked the fireball's path with a magical barrier. These so-called logs are Juraian guardians Azaka and Kamidake, loyal guardians to Ayeka and Sasami.

"I never thought I'd be grateful to have _them_ protect _me_," Ryoko said with a smirk.

"We'll settle our feud another time," Ayeka smirked back. "For now, it's time to put the hammer down on the other teams!"

After the eruption, Ako, Riko, Mikazuki and Yuuzuki finally head out of the crossroads and out of a cave. Unfortunately, they wound up back on the Witchlord Trail.

"We're back where we started!" Riko growled. "All that for nothing!"

"We can try again tomorrow morning!" Yuuzuki pointed out. "Besides, it's late!"

"Kiryuu-sensei's right," Ako added. "And this cave will double as a shelter."

"I guess so," Mikazuki sighed, feeling like she cost her team a powerful lead.

After the spell wore off, Konata held up her power meter. The meter shown a 3 as Konata and her classmates walked down and got ahead just behind Ayeka and her team. Konata's readout began to glow bright red again.

"Another fireball ready to launch!" Konata giggled. "I bet I can go Super Saiyan Blue with this baby!"

"Should I tell her or should you?" Ayeka whispered to Kagami.

"It's pointless to explain things to her," Kagami replied to Ayeka.

"Fun as it is, we gotta keep going," Sasami said, holding her meter. "Whatever number we get, we have to make base there. It's getting dark soon."

"Well, good luck, Sasami," Kagami nodded. "We'll be OK here for now."

Sasami gets a 6 on her meter as she and Ryo-Ohki trot along with Ayeka, Ryoko and Washu following behind. As they arrived at their destination, Sasami's readout rang out like a slot machine signaling a jackpot.

"2 doublers and a -3! We're rollin' in bonuses!" Washu chimed.

"Looks like we're at the beginning of Skeleton Head Beach," Ryoko said. "Sounds like a cool place to hang out."

"Well, let's not figure out how it got its name," Ayeka noted.

Sasami fed a carrot to Ryo-Ohki and she transformed from her cabbit form into her spaceship form, acting as a makeshift shelter for the night.

Akane held up her meter as Sinon was getting ready for the night with 4 sleeping bags and 2 umbrellas she packed for the trip.

"We'll have to make camp wherever we end up," Sinon told Akane. "Make it a good one."

Akane's meter reads a 4, as Miharu and the others pass through the Ruins again and make their camp at the base on the other side.

"How do you do good at survival tactics, Sinon?" Akane asked.

"Years playing GGO taught me everything, Akane," Sinon replied.

"There's nothing Shino here don't know," Miharu smiled, hugging Sinon and playing with her hair. Sinon blushed and giggled with Miharu.

"Let's hope things look better tomorrow morning, girls," Melfina said.

Each of the DX girls laid out their sleeping bags under the umbrellas and packed it in for the night. Miharu, Akane and Melfina fell asleep as Sinon took watch.

"Nothing's getting by this offensive line!" Sinon said, aiming her water rifle. "Not even the Steel Curtain!"

As the first night ends on Fireball Island, each of the teams managed to get a Token from the Ruins, Matamuli's albeit later than the others. The island claimed everyone once except Pelu. For now, things have calmed down, but once the day begins again, it gets more intense as the quest for the Firestone continues.


	5. DAY 2: Morning

Ako, Riko, Mikazuki and Yuuzuki wake up from their night in the cave and planned to keep moving toward the idol of Vul-Kar.

"That was quite a night, but we still gotta keep moving," Riko said.

"Let's hope our luck improves this time," Ako replied.

"Here goes," Yuuzuki said as she holds up the power meter. Once it shown 3, the magic of the cave sweeps the girls away and wound up previously before returning to the Witchlord Trail.

"We're back on the Fireflash cave!" Mikazuki cheered. "We're right on top again!"

Konata holds up her power meter looking down Thunder Alley with her fellow classmates.

"We can't let Ako and Riko's team win this battle," Konata said.

"Yeah, yeah," Kagami replied apathetically. "Just work your magic."

Konata's meter shown 4, putting them right near Skeleton Head Beach. Tsukasa is shocked to see a weird giant spaceship next to them.

"ALIENS! WE'RE BEING INVADED!" Tsukasa shrieked.

"Relax, Tsukasa!" Kagami shouted. "That spaceship is Ryo-Ohki, remember?!"

"Ryo-Ohki?" Tsukasa asked, then remembered Ryo-Ohki is Sasami's pet and doubles as a transportation for Ryoko, Ayeka and everyone of Tenchi's friends.

"I forgot…" Tsukasa sighed, blushing with embarrassment.

"While we're here, let's see how the Jurai Royal Family can assess the situation," Miyuki smiled.

Ayeka was a bit cranky overhearing Tsukasa cry in fear. Sasami was just ready to change Ryo-Ohki back to her cabbit form as Ryoko was laughing herself to death.

"Oh man!" Ryoko said, laughingly. "Tsukasa's so easy to scare!"

"That girl needs to grow a spine," Ayeka retorted. "Now, let's continue our quest for the Firestone!"

Ryoko carried Ayeka and Sasami as Washu jumped out of the ship. Ryo-Ohki changed back into her cabbit form and landed on Sasami's head. Washu got the power meter and hacked into it using one of the powers.

"Eureka!" Washu chimed. "Get ready for MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!"

As Ayeka, Ryoko and Sasami were confused, Washu's hacking proved beneficial. The meter's result was 6, but Washu used one of the doublers changing it to 12. The instant that happened, Ryo-Ohki zoomed up Blister Run like a bullet train dragging Sasami along. Once Ryo-Ohki stopped, Sasami was slightly shaken as Ryoko and Ayeka try to calm both her and Ryo-Ohki down.

"Oops!" giggled Washu. "I'll have to note those side effects before starting again."

Ayeka and Ryoko were not amused.

Miharu was just waking up as Sinon was repacking her camping gear. Akane and Melfina were looking around as Miharu began to use her meter.

"Everyone's miles ahead of us by now," she said to everyone. "So, let's pick up the pace."

However, Miharu's readout shown 1 in red and was hot to the touch.

"YOW! That's hot!" Miharu said as she dropped the meter. "Now what?"

"Now this!" Akane laughed, grabbing the meter on the ground. "JSA…now DOA!"

Akane aimed at the direction of Vul-Kar as the idol's eyes glow red and it whispers "Forbidden…". Ryo-Ohki reared back like a cat ready to strike. Sasami wondered what was wrong and then saw Vul-Kar ready to attack.

"Well, we're boned," Washu shrugged.

"Don't tell me those things!" Ayeka and Ryoko shouted at her. Vul-Kar screams out a fireball as it rolled down Blister Run, taking Ryoko, Washu, Ryo-Ohki and the Jurai Royal Family down the path slamming into a bankment of the beach.

Mikazuki looked around hoping that another fireball isn't activated.

"I certainly felt that!" she said, holding her chest. "We better be careful."

Ako got a 5 on her power meter as she stepped out of the cave and onto the path known as Fireflash Chute. Riko, Yuuzuki and Mikazuki followed Ako outside.

"We're far ahead now," Riko said, looking back at the cave.

"Yes, but be aware of any surprises the other teams might have," Ako added. "We're far from winning this game yet."

"Until now," Yuuzuki said, showing Ako that they picked up 2 "FREE" readouts.

Konata looked at Ako's team and put away her meter. Kagami noticed a change in Konata as she looked angry.

"Konata," Kagami exclaimed. "Don't tell me you're planning to go…"

Konata shouted as her hair went from blue to gold, going Super Saiyan. Konata aimed her hands towards a volcano near Fireflash Chute.

"Try and dodge this, Tuinanau Tribe!" Konata screamed and fired a Kamehameha Wave, igniting the volcano. A fireball was rolling down Fireflash Chute until Riko activated a Talisman from the power meter. The fireball went right through the Suminoes and Kiryuus like it was nothing. After seeing the attack fail, Konata then powered down and began to mope.

"No fair, using our Talisman like that," she whimpered.

Meanwhile, Ayeka, Ryoko, Sasami, Washu and Ryo-Ohki were cooling off in a mud pit near the beach. This is the first time they were knocked down by the fireballs.

"What an undignified situation to be in," Ayeka grumbled. "A Royal Princess wallowing around in mud like a common hog."

"It certainly suits your pigheadedness, Miss Prissy," Ryoko chuckled.

Sasami was washing Ryo-Ohki as Washu brought out a distilling flask.

"Amazing," she wondered. "This mud has similar qualities like mud back home, but it's colder than normal. I might have to take a sample back with me after this excursion is over."

Akane still has the power meter in her hand as her hair changed from brown to red and her eyes from green to red.

"That certainly lit a fire up Pelu's ass!" laughed Akane maniacally.

"Yeah, real smooth, Akane," Sinon mumbled. "Just punch it already!"

Akane gets a 4 on the meter as she, Miharu, Sinon and Melfina walked down Thunder Alley. The readout shown "-2" as Akane was looking around.

"I'm hoping for more destruction and chaos!" Akane said. "I LOVE this game!"

"Girl's crazy as a bird, and I don't mean Larry," Sinon sighed.

Yuuzuki grabbed the power meter and looked all over the place, then she gets a diabolical look in her eyes.

"It's time, girls," she smiled evilly. "LET'S GO BALLISTIC!"

Yuuzuki pointed her power meter into the air and sent shockwaves all over the island, like if time was standing still.

"What's going on here, Washu?!" Ryoko demanded, noticing the strange energy.

"Don't look at me!" Washu angrily replied. "For once, this isn't my fault!"

Yuuzuki first gets a 5 on her power meter as she, Ako, Riko and Mikazuki form a train, cocky from playing their free turns, as they have free run over the island. They pick up a "-3" on their readout. Next, Yuuzuki activates "+4" on the meter. After the readout shows "CANC", "+6" and "d6", Yuuzuki and company stop dead in their tracks at Vul-Kar Point. The Firestone is shining brightly.

"WOW! Look at that big ruby!" Yuuzuki screeched with joy. "I can buy a whole collection of manga, anime and games with this!" While Yuuzuki was mesmerized, Ako, Riko and Mikazuki were each thinking how they'll woo Keita with it. Then, they snapped back to reality and picked up the Firestone. The Firestone then shrunk to the size of a hand and fell into Yuuzuki's hand. Then, the ground began to shake violently.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Riko said nervously.

The other teams were each feeling the tremors all over the island.

"What's going on?!" Akane asked.

"The Island of Vul-Kar is about to erupt in anger," Melfina said, closing her eyes as if she senses things. "I take it one of the tribes reached Vul-Kar Point."

"Kiryuu-sensei," Miharu thought. "Now, it's every tribe for themselves. Sorry, Kiryuu-sensei, but it's survival of the fittest."

"EARTHQUAKE!" Tsukasa screamed. Kagami and Miyuki held her close as Konata went into a defensive stance.

"We're too late! The Suminoes got the ruby!" Konata pointed out. "We'll get them back, but hang on!"

Suddenly, all 4 volcanoes erupted and a very loud booming voice shouted "FORBIDDEN!" as volcanic ash and rock kept falling from the skies.

"KEITA-SEMPAI! HELP ME!" Mikazuki cried.

"We're not dead yet, Mikazuki!" Yuuzuki shouted boldly. "Follow me!"

Yuuzuki, Ako, Riko and Mikazuki ran down Fireflash Chute dodging all the debris and molten lava. They see a fork in the road and turn left heading up the High Road heading towards Grim Gully. During the chaos, Ako noticed a "d6" she had was used up. After the island stopped shaking, there was "CANC" on the readout.

"Whew! That was close!" Ako sighed with relief. "We're almost home free and we're out of danger!"

"For now, Ako," Riko told her. "I have a feeling we're still not out of the jungle yet."

While Tuinanau was dodging death at every turn, the volcano at Thunder Alley erupted and a fireball was heading for the Matamuli.

"We are so dead!" Akane yelled. "Goodbye, Senou-kun!"

"Not yet, Akane!" Melfina said, standing in front of Miharu and the others. She began to pray and chanted "Pagua Songfa" as the fireball was nearing them. Melfina opened her eyes, threw her hands outward and a magic barrier protected them as the fireball sent them colliding into the Fetu.

"Konata-chan! Look out below!" Miharu called out.

Before Konata turned around, she, Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki were once again engulfed by the fireball. Although both Konata's and Miharu's groups slammed into the bankment, only Konata's group takes a mud bath.

"This is unsatisfactory," Miyuki pouted. "How did your group manage to come out unscathed, Mikuni-san?"

"Being held captive by the Kei Pirate Clan," Melfina smiled nervously, "you're bound to learn a few spells for protection."

"Our own Talisman user," Sinon said, messing up Melfina's hair. "Our big cleanup ace like X-Man himself."

"We'd like to chat more, but we got Suminoes to stomp," Akane said, as Miharu and the others headed back to Thunder Alley. "Laterz."

As Konata sinks into the mud, Kagami expresses concern for her friend.

"I'm beginning to HATE those twins…" she grumbled under the mud.

"How long are we going to play second fiddle to those snotty Suminoe sisters?!" Ayeka said impatiently.

"Relax, Ayeka," Washu replied. "This time, I've perfected the meter to not give a kickback when we use a doubler."

"You better HOPE so, Ma," Ryoko warned Washu.

"Trust me," she smiled back to Ryoko.

Washu used a doubler on the meter as it shows a 5, immediately doubling it to 10. Ryo-Ohki suddenly transforms as Sasami hops inside. Ayeka and the others hop inside and Ryo-Ohki zooms across the beach.

"I see them! Ako and Riko are on the High Road!" Ryoko said.

"We'll take the Low Road and cut them off," Ayeka ordered. "Then, that jewel is MINE!"

Ryo-Ohki transformed back into cabbit mode as the others jumped out like a special missions force. The readout shows a "+5" as Ryoko materializes a lightsaber.

"The minute we see those twin dimwits, the Force will be upon them!" she laughed evilly.

Meanwhile, still on Thunder Alley, Sinon checks the map.

"What are you looking for, Shino?" Miharu asked.

"Shortcuts," Sinon replied, showing the map to the other girls in DX.

"Oh, so we can catch those twins by surprise!" Akane deduced.

"Precisely," Sinon noted. "We can take a cave and hopefully bring us near Grim Gully where the Tuinanau are heading."

"Then, we can ambush them and claim the Firestone for ourselves," Melfina added.

"Well, let's get this plan started," Miharu nodded. Her power meter shown a 2 as they headed toward the cave they were familiar with. The readout shown "MGC" as Miharu looked back to Melfina.

"Looks like we're blessed again," Miharu said, as Melfina blushed happily.

"When worse comes to worse, we'll be ready," Sinon said, as she charted the map marking the cave near Grim Gully, hoping to reach it before Ako and Riko does with the Firestone in tow.


End file.
